Let Her Do The Work
by Machina Super Monstrum
Summary: That one, Jaune Arc...He is mine, he doesn't know it but soon he will. Right after a few obstacles are taken care of... (My contributions to the Y!Neo "Mine" collaboration, reposted here with all future chapters posted simultaneously.)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Let Her Do The Work

 **A/N: Maxaro's methods, while effective just seem so crude, like a cudgel if you will, way to deal with Neo's opposition. I prefer a...lighter touch, like a scalpel.**

 **A/N: A repost of my story from Maxaro's Mine collaboration as I'm rather proud of it and want to share it with those who may not have seen it.**

The red one... Ruby Rose... childish, impulsive, banking on her charm far too much... fragile... a simple obstacle to surmount in pursuit of her beloved Jaune.

Killing her is too heavy handed, they would notice, an investigation would occur, Jaune would be busy with revenge, nono, can't have that.

Hurting her, still too much, Jauney has such compassion for those around him, even if they are undeserving whores, he would not stand for one he thought his friend being harmed, he would lead the charge to find who did it. Even though he'd obviously forgive her in the end, she didn't want them to start like that.

But she can still be removed, Jaune would need comfort, fall right into her welcoming arms, yes, she must be removed, but not by Neo's hand...

Soooo fragile...

* * *

Ruby wandered from the cafeteria line, searching around for a spot to have her second breakfast, pancakes piled high with strawberries, whipped cream, and syrup. The others weren't here, never were for second breakfast, except Nora sometimes.

Instead, the scythe wielder opted for a seat out in the courtyard. It's a nice day after all, and a second breakfast as great as this should be enjoyed in the sunshine, right?

The morning sun had warmed the round stone table to a relatively comfortable degree and a light breeze wafting throughout the grounds really put the cherry on top of what was shaping to be rather pleasant morning...

" _Seems like a bit... much doesn't it?"_

A whisper of her voice tickles at her ear for just the briefest of moments, making her wheel towards it. Nothing but the gentle breeze and the chatter of a nearby group of students in that direction. One of them waves at her and she waves back, shaking her head with a little giggle.

" _A lot of sugar, going to put on more than a few pounds at this rate..."_

The whisper tickles at her other ear. She spins and stares at nothing but a stone wall. She sighs and turns back to face the front, only to come face to face with herself, bloated and flabby, but Ruby nonetheless.

" _Nothing wrong with a little weight is there? Right Ruby?"_

"Ahhhh!" She screams and throws the tray at the horrid mockery, watching it puff out as the tray passes through it, flakes floating down, flakes of... powdered sugar!

Her shaky breathing slowly steadies as she glances around, several groups pointing and whispering amongst themselves, several likely shrugging it off as just a quirky Ruby thing, but for others, the rumor mill's wheels begin to spin.

With an embarrassed blush, the cloaked girl pulls her hood up and trots off back to the dorm.

From atop a nearby tree, hidden from observers, Neo's smile only grows as her thoughts turn to the next interaction between the two...

* * *

Later, as the day wanes and the sunlight fades behind the horizon, Ruby relaxes on the roof of the dorm, doing routine maintenance for Crescent Rose. Maintenance is always so soothing, the smooth feel of the metal parts, the smell of fresh oil and wax, the satisfying click of the lever sliding into pla-

The lever isn't locking, not a problem, just have to disassemble again and find the obstruction.

The parts quickly lay strewn before her, cleaned, cleared and checked, but no obstruction, no reason it shouldn't have locked into place.

With a shrug, chalking it up to a small hitch, she reassembles the scythe rifle, once again locking the slide for a dry fi-

Hitched again...

With a huff, she tears it all apart, staring hard at the parts in question and still finding nothing wrong!

" _Can't get your weapon to work?"_

Her own voice once again echoes in her ear, head swiveling back and forth.

" _A wannabe Huntress that can't even work her weapon. No place for that."_

Almost in a blink, another Ruby stands before her, only this one garbed in business woman attire and holding a sheet of paper, a smile on her face as she stares down at the younger version.

" _There's always an office job, perfect for girls like you who can't cut it in the big world."_

"Who are you!?"

" _You of course."_

"Leave me alone!" With a swing, she cuts through the older version of herself with the incomplete scythe, the figure slashed and dissipating into papers that flutter in the wisps of wind, each one emblazoned in bold across them with the words, "Secretary Rose."

Neo sits on the opposite ledge, wrapped in her illusions, smiling all the harder at the visibly shaken girl.

 _'So fragile...'_

* * *

On and on, from days into weeks, weeks into months, constantly harrowed by the degrading visions, each poking at some new aspect in stronger and more effective ways: Her schoolwork, her appearance, her weapons, her leadership, her immaturity.

It went on and on, Ruby, herself beginning to believe it more and more, but never able to tell the others what was happening, what she saw, what she felt, that would only prove the voices right about her weakness!

She ate less and less, wore longer clothes to hide her body, never went out other than to class, and even then she was late more often than not.

Her teammates tried to help, their faces twisted into mocking sneers and pitying looks for the poor, incapable girl, but she always waved them off saying she just wasn't feeling well.

Months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, no respite from the whisperings, the voices, the visions, the failure!

* * *

Tears stream down, falling onto the paper as she penned out the shaky words, the spots of wetness growing as it went on and on, til finally she put the pen down, wanting to throw the paper aside as even her words weren't strong enough!

She turned to the single piece of knotted rope hanging from the post in the ceiling, stepping onto the stepstool as her head went through the loop, the voices rising in volume and chorus.

" _Do it."  
_

" **Do it."**

"Do it."

" _ **DO IT!"**_

Fresh tears flow down her cheeks as she kicks the step stool from beneath her feet, feeling the drop, the crack and the sudden cutoff of air, her vision blurring fast but the tears never stopping.

Just before she fades completely into the void, an icy giggle echoes through the room and a small, female figure coalesces in front of her, a wide grin on her face as she watches the life leave Ruby's eyes, waving one hand slowly.

And in that one final moment, Ruby realized that she truly had made a mistake...

* * *

Everyone was devastated by the news, none more than Yang, who still hadn't been back to the school after 3 days, though some said they saw her drunkenly stumbling through Vale, while Blake and Weiss tried to both find her and figure out how it happened.

Jaune blamed himself for not noticing the signs, for failing a fellow team leader and close friend. Team WBY and JNPR had been given a mourning leave off class for the week, Ozpin knowing how close the two teams had been.

The leader of JNPR leaned against the wall on his bed, still rattling it around in his head when the door clicks, opening slowly to reveal his partner and friend Pyrrha, the somber expression on his face mirrored on hers.

"Jaune..."

"I know..."

She closes the door, sitting down on the bed next to him, a hand on his shoulder and a look of concern on her face.

His body sags and he lurches towards her, burying his face in her shoulders as the hot tears sting at his eyes.

Her surprise lasts only a second before she wraps both arms around him, squeezing him tightly against her as her own tears form and fall into his flaxen hair.

From outside their dorm's window, Neo's face falls to a scowl as she watches the tender display. Clearly, another obstacle needs to be removed...

 **A/N: Bam. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly my dear readers.**

 **Editor's notes: This is all Machina's work, me and Loneliest are innocent. Any pitchforks and/or torches should be aimed at him, not us. We clear on that?**


	2. Chapter 2

Let Her Do The Work 2

 **A/N: Another for all of you. My Y!Neo strikes once again.**

 **A/N: Chapter 2 uploaded at the same time!**

The Fiery one... Pyrrha Nikos... multi-year combat champion of Mistral, wielder of Polarity, inept in socialization, and occupying Neo's spot in Jaune's arms! Another obstacle between her and Jaune that must be handled and removed.

Her image is what made her, and it is what will break her...

* * *

2 weeks after Ruby's suicide and things were yet to return to anything but the barest modicum of normality for Team JNPR and the remnants of RWBY.

Jaune and Pyrrha had finally grown a closer, opening up to each other and maybe starting to acknowledge those unspoken feelings... if only it could've been due to better circumstances.

Yang was still missing, though whispers and rumors of her whereabouts and state still abounded amongst the gossip of the school.

Blake and Weiss had simply shut down, returning to their old aloof states, distant from anyone and everyone, focused solely on classwork.

Nora and Ren were the only ones with any return, Ren keeping whatever emotions he was holding within as usual while Nora continued her antics, though anyone who'd been around her could see the strain in her smile and the bags under her eyes.

It was hard, but they were students, students who still needed to go to class. The classes seemed almost hollow, as if they were washed out of all life and color to those who were most affected. Port's rambling, Oobleck's rushing, even Glynda's harsh control, all of it was faded, muddled, in the background. Home life was little better…

* * *

Classes have ended, dinner have ended, the sun was still well in the sky and Team JNPR sat in their room, the malaise weighing heavy upon them, sapping their energy and motivation.

Pyrrha struggles to read a book on her bed, a sappy romance novel that she had hoped would help her mood, She had merely stared at the same paragraph, eyes scanning but without taking it in. Finally she throws the book across her bed, standing up with a look of conviction.

"We need to get out, we've been cooping ourselves up too much. This wallowing must stop, it's not healthy for us."

Ren looks up from his own book, a thick, ancient tome that he's be working through for some time, Nora stops staring at the ceiling, and Jaune glances from his studies at her.

"I say we go out… s-somewhere..." her words stumble as she comes up with little for the meat of her plan.

"No thank you."

"Nah."

"I need to study."

The gladiator lets out an exasperated sigh, her shoulders sagging. "F-fine! I'll just... go out by myself!" She takes a moment to dig through her painfully small wardrobe, pulling a worn gray hoodie and similarly worn, nondescript long skirt, both ideal for keeping her identity away from casual notice.

After changing and grabbing her gear, a proper Huntress is never unprepared after all, she stood at the door for just a moment, looking over her teammates with a look of concern.

"Keep safe Pyrrha." Jaune calls from the small desk, his eyes never leaving the papers.

The gladiator sighs once more before pushing open the door and heading out for Vale.

Behind a veil of bending light, Neo watches the red headed temptress leave. Alone... perfect. The next obstacle is set to begin toppling.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos, multi-year champion of Mistral, student of Beacon, and Huntress in training, was lost. Totally and utterly lost in the streets of Vale, but then maybe that's what she gets for wandering through the city on a Thursday evening with no clue of what she wanted.

Nothing sounded appealing, the movies seemed droll, she'd already eaten, and there were no new novels to pick up. Just why had she come to the city if there was nothing for it to offer? The only upside was that the hustle and bustle of the main city streets had had a refreshing energy to it, accentuated by the chill in the air.

Now though, she was in the lesser used section of the city, not quite the slums or industrial but certainly not downtown. A few people milled about the streets, most going about their daily routines, lives moving as they always had.

Neo watched from a perch atop a nearby building, following alongside the red head, unseen and unheard, her footsteps carefully placed, letting not a grain of dust knocked out of place. _'Now the fun begins…'_ with a flick of her hand and a few illusions cast on delay, the tiny girl bounds from her hiding spot, preparing to play her part in the upcoming 'show'.

* * *

Pyrrha thrust her hands into the pockets of the worn hoodie as a chill breeze wafts past her, "Maybe I should just head back home. This may not have been the best idea." She muttered aloud, chewing on the inside of her lip.

A flicker of something large in the corner of her eye draws her attention, just in time to see it disappear behind a corner but not get a good look at it, though it sounded like claws clicking against stone, suspicious in its own right. The champion's gut instinct told her to follow and Pyrrha Nikos was not someone quick to dismiss her instincts.

Her footfalls ring out loudly against the cold stone walls as she turns down tight alleys and rain slick cobblestone, always catching just a glimpse of the thing before it disappears around another corner or down another damp alley.

The red-headed huntress persevered, however, and was rewarded with a horrifying sight: Several Grimm, a mix of Beowolves and Ursa, crowded around a small girl, curled into a ball, a shattered chunk of wood lying discarded on the ground next to a rapidly disintegrating Beowolf.

"Hold on!" Pyrrha yells as she pulled Milo and Akouo, launching the spear forth at one of the Beowolves approaching the helpless girl, spearing it through the neck and pinning it to the chest of a roaring Ursa, killing them both as their bodies flicker and dissolve.

With a tug of her semblance, the javelin returns back to her waiting hand, shifting into its xiphos form as she immediately tears into another nearby Beowolf, cleaving it in half.

The red-headed warrior finally stands over top of the helpless girl, eyes darting around the circle of waiting enemies. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." She calls to the cowering girl, "I'll keep you safe." All the while wishing for someone to be at **her** back right now.

A deep breath fills her lungs as the world slows down, everything taking on a crystal clarity as her honed mind assessed the situation, _"4 Beowolves and 2 Ursa remaining. Small group, too enclosed to use rounds though,_ _s_ _hrapnel might ricochet._ _T_ _hey're not moving, as if waiting. Shouldn't give them time for whatever they're waiting on."_ Time returns to normal as she moves, in an instant upon the first group, cutting the two Beowolves at the neck, removing their heads cleanly while raising her shield to the expected onslaught of the large Ursa. An assault that never comes as the Ursa stands there, seemingly bewildered at the sudden action, but the gladiator does not give it the time to recover and strikes it through the chest, cleaving upward to split the large beast in half from the chest up. Her Aura flares to life as it soaks damage from behind her, several small strikes impacting her whisper thin shield accompanied by a thin, metallic clatter as whatever hit her falls to the ground. The huntress wheels yet again, transforming and throwing her spear in one fluid motion, noticing briefly the shattered Grimm bone spikes on the ground in front of her, appearing smaller than normal but chalking it up to her combat hazed state.

Akouo spears through the offending Ursa, the now wounded beast thrashing about for the briefest of moment before inflating and detonating in a hail of spikes and rapidly disintegrating chunks, taking its companion Beowolves with it. Pyrrha was not idle in that fraction of time, rolling forward to place her shield as well as herself in the way of the debris, shielding her charge from much of the damage and letting her Aura soak the rest.

The girl shudders, unfurling and latching onto her rescuer, tears flowing down the small girl's face and allowing Pyrrha to finally get a look at the near casualty of this attack. Her short cropped blue hair, tipped with black compliment her vibrant orange eyes, popping all the more against her chocolate skin.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I-I'm okay. W-we need to go!" Her tiny voice squeaks out, reminding Pyrrha heavily of Ruby's. "B-before any more show up!"

"I need to call in another team to take care of this then, or at least the police. We mustn't leave this uninvestigated." Her Scroll beeps in her hand for a brief moment before it lights up with a ding and she nods at the message on the screen. "A tip has been left with the authorities who should be well able to investigate and call in Hunt teams as necessary, though hopefully this is an isolated incident. Excellent." She turns her head to her companion with a soft smile, "Now then, shall we get you home then?"

The young girl nods in agreement before burying her face into Pyrrha's chest, clutching her tightly as the Huntress-in-training grips the girl with one arm, "Where is home for you young lady?"

She says something in her tiny, Ruby like squeak, muffled by Pyrrha's rather ample endowments. "Mrmhrff..."

"Pardon, I couldn't make that out?"

Her bright orange eyes stare up, shimmering at the edges with welled tears. "Please don't..."

"What?"

Her eyes lower again, "Please, just... go. I don't want you to meet Daddy."

"D-does... is your father a bad man?" Pyrrha knew she was walking on egg shells here and any wrong move might be disastrous.

"No... Daddy is a good man. He'll... he'll try to reward you and we don't have much to give and he'll just hurt himself trying and-" her words break down into further tears.

"Oh, okay... I understand. Just, please be safe in getting home okay?" The tall gladiator took a knee as she let the small girl unlatch, wiping her face on her long sleeves.

"Okay." She mumbles before turning and dashing down a thin alley behind them, leaving Pyrrha to stand in the dismal area, uncertainty and worry written plainly across her face before she returns to the last alley she came from, retracing her steps back into the city proper.

* * *

The little girl ran down the thin alley, into the inky blackness between the buildings before simply disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Atop the building next to the alley, Neo crouched on its edge, staring down upon the scene she had wrought with the assistance of the fiery-headed gladiator, a derisive smirk plastered on her face.

 _'Like manipulating a child,_ _a_ _lmost too easy._ _'_ Her smile turns hostile. _'Someone as weak willed as you is not fit for him. Run now, run home with your simple thoughts. We shall meet again Pyrrha Nikos, very soon.'_ With an almost imperceptible glimmer, she disappears from sight once more, leaving the carnage behind, a present for the next set to discover…

* * *

"7 officers and 3 civilians were killed in midtown Vale today, details from the investigation are still forthcoming but from what has been released, the victims were most likely killed by a rogue pack of Grimm as the time of death roughly coincides with a tip sent to the VPD by an anonymous Hunter about Grimm activity. This is as of yet unconfirmed but the investigation is still ongoing and we'll be reporting more on it as more becomes known. This has been Reed Thistleton of Channel 4 News, back to you Greyhm." The voices stop as a small 'mute' appears in the top of the screen.

"Oh dear, it seems I was too late..." Pyrrha lamented as her shoulders sink and her body sagges. A firm hand on her arm stops her depressing thoughts in their tracks, though, a hand attached to the rest of their team leader.

"You may have been too late to save them, but you stopped those Grimm from hurting anyone else. In this sort of incident, that's all we really can do. Take solace in that." A genuine smile cracks his face for the first time since Ruby's death, even if his eyes still hold a great weariness.

"Yeah. You couldn't have stopped it unless you somehow saw the future, and unless you can change your Semblance that won't happen, though if you do figure out how to do that, definitely tell me cuz that'd actually be pretty cool to be able to do. I'd love to use mine and then change to something like Blake's."

Nora's rant, albeit subdued, was still a sight more than they'd had recently and it felt rather refreshing, though the thought of a horde of Nora clones sent chills down the collective spines of her team and eliciting a small smile on her partner's face.

As grim as it seemed, this attack had breathed a shred of new life into the weary team…

* * *

 _'A shred that will be all the more fulfilling to tear apart._ ' Neo thought as she stared into the room from its large window. Her eyes shifted from the tall temptress to the object of her affections, _'I'm sorry Jaune, but sometimes to do some good, you have to be the bad guy. It'll hurt for a while, but I'll certainly make it better..."_ her thoughts trailed off, drifting into images that heated her cheeks and sent a powerful need coursing through her body. She shakes her head to clear the thoughts, wanted though they may be. _'Soon... I just have to make a few more preparations.'_ Releasing the windowsill to which she clung, she fell backwards, silent and invisible, her landing doing little more than bending a few blades of grass. _'Let's go check on Yang…'_

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was not doing well. She spent each day in varying states of sleep, inebriation, and recovery, drifting along throughout the city.

After all, its not hard to get free drinks when your a beauty like she was, flash a little cleavage, say the right words, tease at their hopes and desires and the alcohol would flow freely, making sure that as long as the bars remained open the drinks would still come.

It was easy for the first night, drink away the pain to deal with later, but when it came time to return home, the thought of seeing her sister's empty bed and her note still on the desk, Yang couldn't do it. She needed more time, so she stayed out, leaving with a rather uproarious group of drunk women, sleeping on their floor til they kicked her out in the morning.

The next night, little on her stomach as she tried to conserve her money, was much the same, with her ending up bumming a couch in Junior's club under pain of a tear streaked beating.

The third night was when things got difficult, her stomach rumbling on near empty, her head throbbing constantly, and her body already aching for a comfortable place to sleep. The drinks continued long into the night and before long she was sobbing in a dark corner all to herself, nursing her head as unwanted thoughts continued to assault her mind, blocking out the rest of the world to her...

He seemed so nice when he sat down, offering her a glass of water and an antacid, both of which disappeared quickly into her mouth without thought. He asked her what was wrong, his paired green and orange eyes staring back into her lilac orbs, puffy and bloodshot. He sat there, listening as the words practically fell from her mouth, more than once stopped by her uncontrollable sobbing, but the whole time he listened, always with a kind word or consolatory pat on her hands.

When the story finally stopped, she felt her whole body practically sag, feeling both better and worse for having shared it so fully with a complete stranger. And as if to compound the situation, her body chose that time to loudly state how hungry it was, loud enough for even the young man to hear it.

He only smiled wider, standing and offering his hand forward, suggesting they leave and get something to eat, which the starving Huntress accepted without a second thought, piling into his car and heading off to the man's apartment where Yang was able to sate her hunger and was even offered to spend the night, the only problem being that he was a bachelor in a bachelor pad, so only had his single bed. Her mind was so far gone from both the booze and the stress that she agreed almost without thought, simply piling into the bed without even changing clothes.

… her first time was supposed to be special, it was supposed to be a magical night with her new husband or at the very least a long time boyfriend, but not a stranger, it was never supposed to be a stranger. He was just so insistent, running his hands all along her body, touching places never touched by male hands before, trying to strip off her clothes. Every time she tried to protest, he would roll over, muttering about 'his kindness' or 'her sister', and, in her inebriated state, Yang would feel a little regretful until he tried again, each time she let him go a little farther before rebuking him.

When she finally let him go far enough to strip her clothes, it only escalated until he had her on her back with her legs spread and his turgid member lightly resting against her entrance. Without a word, without a thought to if she was ready, he pushed forward and in that instant, Yang Xiao Long was no longer a virgin...

It hurt, it hurt in ways she had never thought of, it hurt so much that tears streamed down her face once more, her sobs echoing gently in the small room, accentuated by the rhythmic slap of flesh on flesh. Minutes felt like hours as he continued to use her body, but she never once said no. His rough handling of her supple flesh hurt, but she never once said no. As he hilted deeply within her, the rush of his hot seed filling her freshly deflowered womb, she never once said no…

When he rolled off of her, almost immediately falling asleep, Yang was left to do little but cry and wonder if this was some sort of punishment for failing her sister and a little voice, just a whisper in the back of her mind, gave the answer, _'yes...'_

The next day came bright and early, the sun stinging her bleary eyes and sending spikes of pain shooting through her skull. He stood there, fully clothed and with her outfit bundled under his arm, to which he held in front of himself, saying that she had 30 minutes to get out before he had to go to work.

Yang tried to cry, but she had no tears left. She could only dejectedly drag her naked form from the bed, taking the clothes into the bathroom for a very quick shower, drinking as much of the water as she let hit her skin, before drying off with a damp towel still in the bathroom and putting on her soiled clothes. As she padded out toward the door, he stopped her, offering some toast with jam before pushing her out the door and then disappearing himself, never to be seen by Yang again and leaving her to walk back towards the city itself, shame heavy in her heart and her sister on her mind.

After that, the pattern repeated, days spent dejectedly wandering, evenings spent drinking, using sex to get somewhere to sleep, something to eat, and sometimes just a wash for her clothes. All the while Beacon loomed in the horizon, a place she should go, but never could seem too, every thought of going back beaten by that little voice telling her that she was being punished and needed to suffer.

* * *

Neo smiled her wicked smile as she stared down upon the passed out blonde, formerly so beautiful, now bedraggled and gaunt, pretty only under dim lighting or inebriation.

Things were going far better than expected since that third night, though the boy tried to complain of how harshly she had forced him to treat Yang, he was silenced quickly. Amazing what a blade can do sometimes…

She had spiraled so far down, the next step would be almost trivial. The next suggestion would be quite interesting to watch. _'Wake up Yang, your punishment is almost_ _at its end_ _...'_

* * *

Pyrrha wandered the city incognito once again, and once again she had little to do, but she simply couldn't stand just sitting around the room anymore. She sighed loudly as she noticed that once again she had entered that same downtrodden midtown section of the city.

A sudden loud yell immediately caught her attention. It sounded like Yang! No one had seen her in two weeks! Another yell echoed through the area and Pyrrha rushed down the damp alleys and corridors once more, seeking the source of the yells.

What she came upon was not what she'd expected, Yang surrounded by several Beowolves and Ursa, clothes torn and face gaunt, shouting at them as she was merely throwing them around rather than ending them, she didn't even have her gauntlets on. Clearly Yang had lost her mind and needed assistance.

With one swift motion, Pyrrha deployed her spear and shield once again, and launched into two of the Beowolves, pinning one and decapitating the other. Yang stopped as the nearest Ursa burst into spikes from a well placed throw, turning in the direction of the attack, her eyes widening to saucers as the gladiator approached, whipping her shield into the face of another Beowolf, taking it down with a loud crunch. All in all, the fight took little time and the Grimm all fell with practiced ease.

"Yang! I can't believe I found you, where have you been? Are you okay? You need to come with me and get medical attention."

Yang tried to pull back from the gladiator, instead tripping and falling on her ass and simply scooting away, her eyes still wide in shock. "P-Pyrrha?! No! This isn't... this can't... NO!" The poor girl seemed to have snapped.

"It's okay now, Yang. We can get you taken care of an-"

"NO! Nononono!" This scared woman before her was certainly not the proud brawler Pyrrha had once known. "You can't..." her words slurred and she smelled heavily of alcohol. "Go away, you're crazy!" She stumbled to her feet, running down another dark alley, Pyrrha following shortly there after but Yang turned a corner and then was just... gone, she'd been right behind her. As if she just disappeared completely.

Pyrrha sighed once again and made her way back towards where she remembered a police station to be, hopefully so she could get some help retrieving Yang.

* * *

Neo watched from the rooftops once again, happy that Aura prevented blood from staining clothes, smiling widely as she watched the redhead turn stop only meters from catching her fleeing companion, hidden only by a simple sheet of bent light. _'Mustn't catch up yet, there's still one more act to go.'_ Already calls from the few bystanders that she'd had to view it all where flooding the station with vague descriptions both purposeful and not. _'Let the final pieces come to play.'_

* * *

"Several more officers were killed today in what police were originally calling a Grimm Infestation but several reports from bystanders have been coming in saying otherwise and the VPD has reason to believe that this may in fact be the work of a serial killer. Details are still being released. This has been Reed Thistleton of Channel 4 News, back to you Greyhm."

"That's terrible, I hope they catch em soon. Maybe the school'd be willing to let a few of us go? I mean our Aura can totally stop any normal person's weapon easy." Nora bounced at the idea of the manhunt, her bubbly spirit back in full swing.

"What if its not a normal person, what if its like a rogue Hunter or something?"

"Psshh, we can take em, as long as we stay together."

Ren's soft sigh is lost in the ongoing back and forth between his teammate and team leader, while Pyrrha sits nearby, staring worriedly out the window.

"What's up Pyrrha, you're being super quiet."

"This whole situation is just... unsettling I suppose. Twice now, I've reported in the Grimm sightings, twice now I've been too late to save people, twice now they tell me they've found nothing and won't be dispatching Hunt teams. It feels... I'm not sure, wrong, I guess, to just be sitting here when this situation with the Grimm out there could be escalating to even more dangerous levels. And I'm worried about Yang, she acted like she'd seen a ghost and she looked… broken." Pyrrha sighs once again, something that seems to be growing more common with her these days. "I just... I feel like I should be doing something but I'm not." With a huff, she stands, grabbing her going out clothes once again. "I think another walk would do me some good."

As she heads to the door, Jaune grabs her wrist, worry in his eyes. "Hey, don't go down there and get into a gung ho search, okay? We have to let the VPD do their job while we do ours."

"Okay, Jaune."

"Promise me?"

A soft smile crosses her lips while her cheeks blush lightly, "Okay. I promise, if something, anything, happens, I'll call you guys first before doing anything."

His hand drops from her wrist as he nods. "Thanks. Please don't go looking for trouble Pyrrha and... be safe."

"I will Jaune. Promise."

* * *

Back in the city once again, drawn as she was to the downtrodden midtown, deep gray clouds rolling in overhead. She walks these streets quietly, unaware of her invisible stalker matching her from the rooftops.

She doesn't know of the phone call hitting the anonymous tip line, of the mobilizing of the VPD. When they approach, she does not hear the wail of sirens and shouts of men, only the roars and growls of Beowolves and Ursa.

The gladiator pulls her out shield in one hand and her Scroll in the other, auto dialing Jaune as she throws her shield, guided by her Polarity, removing three heads in a single sweep.

The Scroll mercifully clicked and Jaune's voice rings through, just as she bashes another Beowolf away, "Pyrrha? What's up?" His voice is worried.

"Jaune, I've found them and there's a lot of them! The Grimm ar-!" She doesn't get to finish her sentence as a single, loud snap rings through the air and the illusion finally fall…

The Ursa coalesces into police cars, the Beowolves to the officers themselves, many looking terrified as they shoot round after round into her, held off by her Aura alone. In front of them lay three decapitated corpses, leaking blood into the uneven stone. Before her, the Grimm she had so ruthlessly smashed was actually a policewoman, spine bent at an unnatural angle, her face shattered horribly.

"Pyrrha? Pyrrha? The Grimm are wh-..." the screen shatters as it impacts the ground, fizzling out as rain began to pour from the sky.

Suddenly everything made sense…

The Huntress shakes, tears streaming down her face, almost indistinguishable from the rain, her shaking knees giving way and dropping her to the ground, shock written across her face. She can not process, let alone handle, what had been done, what **she** had done.

In that moment, her mind gave up, her Aura falls and with little but a whimper, bullets riddled her body, ending her life with mercifully little pain and leaving the lifeless body to hit the stone covered ground, painting it a watery red, washed away in the continuing downpour.

* * *

Neo sat upon the roof for the final time, her parasol unfurled, staring out at unfolding scene with the biggest smile she'd had in some time. Everything timed out perfectly and even ended faster than expected. Shame she fell so quickly, her torment would've been delicious, but such is life. There was only one more loose end to tie up before she could arrive to comfort her darling Jaune.

* * *

Yang sat in the dirty alley, taking a long pull from a bottle of booze she lifted from the last guy she slept with, trying to drown out her pain, both new and old. There is only so much she can take, and after watching Pyrrha tear apart the officers so casually and then be cut down on the TV, she cannot help but feel as if this were another defeat against her, as if she could have done something.

 _'Useless, yet again.'_

She shakes her head as she covers her face with her hands, the voices were right again. She'd failed, she'd lost, she'd fallen so far! What can she do though?

 _'End it. Spare yourself and others the failure.'_

She glances over at her pack, threadbare and dirty. Inside Ember Celica still lays, waiting for use. With shaky hands, she reaches into the pack, retrieving the bronzed gauntlets.

 _'Yes. End the punishment.'_

She slips one on, feeling the familiar clothe and metal settle into place.

 _'Do it.'_

Yang glances at the sky once more, downing the rest of the bottle in one go, drops of rain falling upon her face like the heavens themselves weeps.

 _'Do it!'_

The chill metal rests against her neck, barrel pressed against her chin. One last thought goes through her mind as she pulls the trigger. _'Maybe I'll see Ruby again…'_

The bang echos across the rainy streets, a shopkeeper from a nearby store running out to see what happened and discovering the body. He calls an ambulance but the deed is already done.

Neo watches from across the street, watches as she was officially declared dead, and the body was driven off. Neo watches and she smirks, looking down at her own body which rapidly shifts to become the voluptuous figure Yang used to hold for just a brief moment before shifting back. Her smile grows wider, _'Three down…'_

 **A/N: Holy Hell, so yeah...I don't take kindly to others attempting to unseat me it seems. I hope this was worth the wait and that you'll all continue this...unsettling journey when I finish the next chapter. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


	3. Chapter 3

Let her do the work 3

 **A/N: Chapter 3 of 4. The lead up to the finale; everything comes to a teetering head here. Sorry it took so long, my normal Beta had a burnout episode, happens to the best of us after all. This particular chapter went through roughly 12 different edits and my deepest thanks go to the swell guy who put so much effort into fixing the mess it once was. For any of you who may wonder what kind of music I listen to for this, its either Max Richter or One Eyed Doll. I'm sure you all can see where their influences hit deepest eh?**

The energetic one…Nora Valkyrie…wielder of Lightning, kept under control by her partner, very fond of pancakes. Not an obstacle, a threat though, her body holding many seductive traits, possibilities for her to become an obstacle, despite her assurance in Jaune's final faith, risks should not be unduly taken.

That must be removed…

* * *

The news of Pyrrha's "killing spree" followed so closely by Yang's suicide shattered what was left of the already damaged teams. Weiss and Blake completely withdrew from the outside world, barely making exceptions for meals and classes. Jaune fell into an even greater slump, coming to class less and less, more often than not opting instead to curl up and sob quietly in his bed until sleep whisked him back to dreams where all of his friends were still alive. All the while, Ren and Nora, still having each other and able to hold up better than any of the others could. The duo strove to keep their depressed leader up, making him eat and go to classes, trying to get him back to even a meager semblance of normality.

* * *

It was during one such attempt that Neo chose to make herself more known. Watching that temptress squeeze her oversized chest against her Jaune only raised her growing ire further. Luckily, the two distractions quickly left for their class, leaving her soon-to-be lover _(so very soon)_ sitting on his bed, staring out at the window – no, out at _her_. Oh, if she only dropped the illusion, he would be staring right into her eyes! But no, now was not the time for that; her plan was near fruition and it wouldn't do to spoil it before it was ripe. But she had to give him something, a taste of the sweet nectar of love to come, some morsel to tide both of them over until the harvest...

Smiling down at him from her thin perch, she instead breathed against the window, spreading a long fog across it before tracing out in thin, delicate letters, "It'll be OK Jaune."

The man of her dreams blinked in confusion, but his rubbing at his eyes before looking back up at the window seemed to have dispelled the mysterious message. He sighed and looked down at the floor once more, a small, sad smile tugging at his lips for the first time in what felt like forever. "I...I think I'm late to class," he muttered to the seemingly empty room. The smile disappeared but it still had its effect as the knight dragged himself off the bed to snag his bag and Scroll, giving one last look around the room and whispering a small "Thank you..." before walking through the door and into the dormitory's long halls.

* * *

Neo's heart beat furiously in her chest as she sat trembling upon that ledge. He'd noticed and appreciated her help; of course he had, he was just that sort of man, so caring and open with anyone...no matter how undeserving. She cleared her head with a shake; why taint that wondrous moment with thoughts of those unworthy others? Now was the time to ride the high and put the last few pieces into place to finally pull him into her embrace.

* * *

She tiptoed along the thin ledge that circled the second floor of a squat school building, wrapped in the bending light of her illusions, her body a thin shimmer like thermals dancing over pavement. The final temptress was no threat, clearly holding little romantic interest in her beloved. That meant she only had to be removed rather than eliminated, a longer process but certainly one with less cleanup and fewer pieces to fail. Ah, there was the biggest piece now…

The quiet one, Lie Ren, capable of fine Aura manipulation, non-threat but holds Valkyrie's reins…

* * *

Ren took a seat secluded amidst the wide trees, the heat of midday pairing well with the plentiful shade and pleasant breeze to create a near-perfect haven. Here, the Huntsman-in-training could savor a few all-too-brief moments of mediation before Nora inevitably did something that demanded his attention.

A deep breath filled his lungs, serenity clearing his mind like a slate wiped clean. A gentle breeze whispered through the grove, whisking away each errant thought that tried to stain his mindscape's purity. For the first time in days, he felt the inner peace that he'd spent so long cultivating.

Light, careful footfalls drew a nugget of his attention, his body tensing slightly as he questioned whom it might be. Likely Pyrrha as she was the only one who had light footfalls and knew of this spot. He drifted back into tranquility, waiting for her inevitable question or call… until he remembered that Pyrrha had been dead for over a week now.

With a heavy sigh, he opened his mouth to call out to this new intruder, but his words were cut off, only a surprised gurgle passing his lips as Ren felt a needle pierce his neck, a feeling like chilled lightning surging through his body. His eyes shot open as he took to his feet, Stormflower deploying from his sleeves. His vision began to blur and his stance became unsteady as he scanned the area around him, looking for the assailant.

His legs buckled as his muscles went slack, darkness creeping into his vision, a spike of pain as his head hit the ground. The last thing he saw before his mind faded to black was the approach of a set of long, white boots, accompanied by a thin, icy giggle.

* * *

Nora slid through the door to her dorm room, arms splayed wide and a wide grin on her face. "Reeeeeen, I'm home!" Her eyes darting around the unusually empty room, searching for her best friend.

"Huh. Where is he? He's always back by now and I'm bored." Folding her arms beneath her substantial bust she flops down onto her bed, a pondering expression on her face. "Not in the cafeteria, his secret spot, or even in the bathroom...hmmmmm."

Nora slumps onto her bed her head hitting her pillow and something hard and crinkly beneath it. A quick grab reveals the envelope slipped underneath. Inside, a folded letter is nestled, opening to a simple message in an elegant, curling handwriting: **Leave what's Mine alone and I will release what is yours.** **Tell others and he suffers. Refuse and he will die.** **I'll be watching.** The rest of the letter unfolds, dropping a single lock of bright pink hair into Nora's lap.

* * *

Neo watched from the windows as Valkyrie opened the letter, smiling at the expression of abject horror and the shuddering of her overly curvaceous body, feeling a tremor of accomplishment as the orange haired threat screamed. Her message was clear enough for the ditz, it seemed. After all, the classics ended up classics for a reason: cliche, certainly, but often effective.

 _'Perhaps I won't have to hold that small man for very long after all'_. Neo mused to herself. _'It is a bother to have to drug him so much.'_

Her smile dipped slightly as her beloved burst into the room, immediately rushing to the hussy's side as she gestured wildly and speaking quickly, though Neo was unable to make out exactly what was said as she spoke too fast to easily read. The gist however was very clear…

 _'I warned her and yet she immediately goes against it. I try to be generous and this is what I receive. It seems I was not as clear as I thought.'_ The petite woman's face was now a scowl as she stared at the temptress, fingernails digging into the brick of the wall as her beloved was hugged by the busty whore. _Another message must be sent. My mercy only extends so far, Valkyrie..."_ With a push, Neo fell from the window, disappearing in a wispy shimmer of bent light and folded space.

* * *

Consciousness returned to to Ren at a snail's pace, the foggy veil barely lifted before a face filled his blurry vision. Thin, delicate fingers clutched at the bottom of his jaw, soft skinned but with a firm grip, before gently dragging his head up and forcing his vision to clear further. His eyes darted around, trying to take in as much of his surroundings as possible.

A single dim bulb flickered overhead, casting a twilight gloom across the barren concrete of the small room's walls, every probing movement strained the tight, unyielding cords binding his limbs and neck as they dug into his flesh.

"Comfy?" A voice, husky, twinged with a faint yet hauntingly familiar echo whispered in his ear. No matter how he jerked his head to find the source, finding nothing but more empty walls.

"Not particularly." He called to the seemingly empty room.

"Good." An edge of venom seeped into her words. "That just makes this quicker."

With that, a floodlight burst to life, its echoes through the small room, briefly drowning out the high pitched whir of a camera.

"Now then," The voice purred with barely-concealed anticipation, "Scream for me..."

* * *

Another biting scream shrieked from Nora's Scroll as the scalpel, now glistening red, carved into his arm again and split the vein. His blood flowed freely for a few brief seconds until his Aura sealed the damage, the magenta glow fading into new flesh. The scalpel left the frame, leaving Ren panting and drenched in sweat.

A small note card passed in front of the camera, written in the same elegant handwriting. **I warned you and yet you fail** **almost** **immediately. He suffers because of you.** **Leave Mine be and yours will be released.** It dropped just as the scalpel reappeared, this time pressed close to Ren's throbbing jugular vein, a scream gurgling through his clenched teeth just as Nora flung the Scroll across the room.

"O-Oh Dust," Tears streamed down her face as she falls off the bed to clutch for her wastebasket, barely a moment before retching into it. "I-I don't know what to do!" She howls into the basket.

Jaune, his psyche already strained slipped into a neutral mask to try and be strong for her. He slipped off the bed to kneel beside his teammate and rub her back gently. "I don't know either, but at least we know he's still alive. His Aura seemed to be holding up."

Nora's tears flow renewed, her face contorting with pain and despair. "But how for how long? I don't...What did I do? What do they want from me?!"

"A-are you sure we shouldn't take this to the teachers o-or the police or something?"

"NO!" Her hands grasped the knight's collar, pulling him close, "All of that happened just because I told you! They'd definitely kill him if we tell anyone else!" The formerly energetic girl curls in on herself, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. "W-we just, no, I just have to stay away from everyone and try to...I...I don't know, figure out whatever it is that made them so mad at me."

Jaune's hand rests on her shoulder before pulling her curled body into a hug. "I'm here to help too. You've already told me, so its not like it'll get worse from my help." A small smile crosses his face. "We'll get through this and get him safe." He tightens his grip on her, taking a deep breath. "Ren's story doesn't end here. Our team's story is still being written."

With a sniffle, Nora looks up at Jaune, "That sounds just like the sort of thing he'd say..."

* * *

Neo seethed as she watched the tender display through the window.

It was as if Valkyrie **wanted** to enrage her, **wanted** to see her partner hurt. The red crept into the edges of her vision until she forced herself to take a deep breath and relax her shoulders. Anger would undo all that she'd accomplished for her beloved. Anger would only hurt her and, Dust forbid, him.

However, it seemed that another step forward would need to be taken; she was going to need a bigger blade for this. Lucky for her, they aren't hard to acquire...

* * *

Time had become meaningless. Maybe it had been weeks. Maybe it had been hours. Either way, unconsciousness had become a luxury compared to the curse of lucidity, with only long sprawls of pained, foggy half-consciousness to fill the void between.

As his senses steadily returned, the same blank walls and dim lights awaited him, his returning Aura trying desperately to repair the massive damage throughout his body. Soft strains of a string quintet echoed through the minuscule room from somewhere behind him.

His throat parched, his voice creaking, he still managed to croak out a few words. "Max Richter...On the Nature of Daylight." A shallow cough passed his cracked lips. "Contemplative. Mournful." Another cough racked his body, heaving and choking as bloody spittle dribbles from the edge of his mouth. "Guilty?"

The music began its slow descent into an end as he heard the same clicking footsteps, felt the same breath tickle his tattered ears, the same threatening purr, "I do not like to hurt people. But I will do whatever it takes for my love..." She snapped her fingers and the floodlights kicked to life once more, blinding the wounded man once again. "If only your pet could learn her lesson..."

* * *

Jaune and Nora sat in dread filled anticipation as the newest video from whomever had kidnapped Ren loaded on her Scroll. A full week had passed since he'd been kidnapped – it had been two days since they'd last received anything on him – and the teachers had grown more pointed in questioning his whereabouts. The illness excuse wasn't likely to stand much longer.

The vid blinked to life, revealing another small card written in the same swirling handwriting. " **Twice I have been clear with my instructions, twice you have failed. Twice I have forgiven, twice you have forgotten."** The card fell, another behind it. " **But for him, I am merciful. Once more I explain. Once more I forgive. Keep your slutty body away from my love and yours will be released. Refuse and there will be no more chances."** The second card dropped, revealing a third. **"But you still must be punished."** With a final drop, Ren was revealed.

The man strapped to the chair was but a shadow of the composed stoic he once was. His clothes were tattered where they were still present, his chest bare to the air. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, some still open and showing the early signs of infection. Both eyes were nearly swollen shut; it looked like both his legs were broken beneath the bindings pinning his limbs against the chair. Bloody spittle dribbled from his lips, splattering occasionally on the dirtied scraps of his pants.

With a weak cough, he llistlessly rolled his head to look directly at the camera and mouth a few words. Jaune couldn't make them out, but they sent Nora into a new fit of tears as her eyes turned to the blonde.

The camera zoomed in on Ren's battered chest, large splotches of discolored flesh flowing across the boy's skin like paint on a canvas, shuddering with each wheezing breath. The frame panned down to his arms, bound with his wrist and palms twisted skyward. A dainty, pale hand entered the frame, curling his left hand, finger by finger, until only the ring finger remained outstretched.

And the briefest pink glow from outside the frame, just for a horrifying heartbeat, heralded a butcher's cleaver crashing through finger and armrest alike.

Nora and Ren screamed in unison until the video froze on that grisly image, Nora's anguish shaking the walls while Jaune's stomach tried to force itself inside out, splattering bile onto the carpet, their faces streaked with tears.

Jaune pounded his fist against the floor, teeth clenched and body shaking. "Why? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?"

Nora grabbed him by the shoulder, staring horrified into his eyes, "It's you...you're who she wants! You're why she's hurting Ren, why she hurt eve-" A tiny noise like shattered glass and a splat and Nora's eyes widened even farther, her body shaking violently. "a-a-a-" Realization hits her like an Ursa paw to the chest as she clutches the severed finger in one hand, lighting crackling and curling around her shuddering body. With an agonized cry, her fist slammed through the wall, tears flying from her face. She ripped her arm from the crumbling plaster before a furious swipe at her bed broke it in half, her voice cracking with rage. "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN, JAUNE!?"

The last frayed edges of Jaune's psyche eroded away, leaving him hollow as he stood to stare out the window, the same window that told him that it would be OK just a week ago.

"I know you're watching. You've gone through all this effort for me." An empty, tired chuckle slipped through the mask. "Well, it worked, you certainly got my attention. Why don't we go to your place and see where things go, just...drop off Ren first."

A thin gasp, a loud shattering, and a gurgled cry gave Jaune the confirmation that Ren was brought back in the barest of moments before his whole body crumpled, folded in time, the echo of broken glass carrying him to his new destination.

 **A/N: The JaunexNeo hits in full next chapter and I can't imagine it'll take too much time so long as the encouragement continues to flow from you all.**

 **Also, I hold a bit of an odd view on Aura apparently. I had to wonder how did a Hunter get a shot in the arm or emergency surgery for like appendix bursting or something, if their Aura would stop the needle or knife and/or heal the damage while they're working. So, medical tools held in the hands of someone with fine control, would be able to bypass it, something of a specialty doctor. A heart and soul doctor (badumtish). I don't imagine the technique would be hard to learn if you had good control, the hard part would still be the learning of how to root around and fix the inside of someone's body. This may not clear up all my thought processes on it but I hope it gives some insight as I didn't want to make an even more massive block of text for an A/N.**

 **May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


	4. Chapter 4

Let Her Do The Work 4

 **A/N: Greetings and salutations my dear readers. The fourth and final chapter of what I hope has been a turbulent ride of emotion is upon us and I sincerely hope that it will be worth the wait. Also, the tiny bit of perspective shift is intentional.**

 **The musical inspiration for most of this is once again, Max Richter. Just, pull up a playlist on Youtube or let autoplay take you and I hope that you all will feel it too. Though a very big bit goes to The Trees.**

 **12/18 A/N: I struggled for some time trying to find someone to Beta this up to the standards I needed/wanted, and it just wasn't happening. So, I don't want to keep the finale around any longer and I hope that it is not horrendous in its raw form. That has also been the delay on a number of my other works for those concerned.**

The perfect one…Neopolitan…master of spacial manipulation and future wife to Jaune Arc...me…

No more obstacles, no more threats, no more delays…

Finally, he is mine and we will be together, forever and ever.

* * *

The space around and in Jaune unfurled with a disturbing unsound, of glass reforming and silence taking hold for the briefest of moments before the world faded into focus around him once more.

The walls were cast in a plush, vibrant red by the sunlight streaming in through a massive window, much of it still largely visible beneath the many posters, pictures and boards all baring his face and outfits and in more than few of them, his nude body.

"Finally..." A whispering voice echoed through the room, its point of origin seemingly everywhere at once. "Finally you're here my love." The voice sounded so familiar and yet, unplaceable, like many meshed into one.

"Yes. I am." His voice was near deadpan as he looked about the room, searching for the mysterious woman. "Where are you?"

"Forgive me my darling. I've fantasized about this moment for so long, and now that its here, I feel so nervous." The large, lace covered bed in the corner ruffles lightly as a tiny figure materializes on top of it, lying down in a seductive pose. "Here I am Jaune." The voice now coming from just the small woman.

"Here you are."

"Here WE are my love." A smile cracks her face, her tongue trailing slowly along her bottom lip. "Together at last."

Jaune takes another dead-eyed step forward, moving closer to the bed as his admirer sits upright, fully revealing her outfit, an opalescent nightgown that shimmered and flowed in the fading daylight, edging down to her mid thigh, revealing the creamy skin beneath while its neck cut down to reveal only the edge of her modest cleavage.

"I've been waiting for so long, working so hard for this moment." Tucking a loose strand of her multicolored hair behind her ear, she stands from the plush bed, arms outstretched. "I've removed so many obstacles, so that we could be together darling." That voice...its was so familiar and yet not, it finally clicked. It wasn't one, it was all, all of them at once...

Jaune's footsteps halt as he stares at the ground, tears dropping into the soft carpet beneath his feet. "Why?" His fists tighten to point his knuckles turn a stark white. "Why did do it?"

Her head tilts slightly, her warm, inviting smile never leaving her face. "Why did I do what Jaune?"

His emotions flare as the tears stream down his face. "WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!?"

A tiny giggle passes her lips, tinkling like icicles on a windchime. "Oh my sweet, I never killed anyone. Never once did I raise my hand to end their lives. It was always their own actions. I would never be so callous as to do that to someone." She takes a step towards the crying teen, arms still outstretched. "But you don't have to worry about them anymore my love, you're here now and that's what matters."

As she reaches out to take hold of him, he jumps backwards, smacking her hands away. "Stay away from me!" He stumbles backwards until he presses up against the wall.

Neo bites her bottom lip for a brief moment before she disappears before his very eyes, only to reappear right next to him, hand cupping his cheek despite the height difference. "Shhhh," Her fingers slide up his jaw, delicately tracing the lines and angles until coming to rest on his lips. "Neo will take care of you now. I'm here to love you like those whores never could." Her soft voice purrs in his ear.

With a cry and a heave, he pushes hard against her, throwing her across the room, landing with a soft pomf upon her bed.

"Don't you get it Jaune?" In an instant, she's upright, standing in the middle of the room. "I did all of this for you. I can be whoever you want." Her form ripples and shatters, replaced by Yang, dressed in the same gown but clearly not sized for more curvaceous body, voice matching the body. "Whenever you want." Suddenly Pyrrha stands before him, garbed in her birthday suit, just a few steps away, the same soft, almost insane smile on her face. "However you want..." Still pinned against the wall, Ruby appears in a ripple of air, clad in his favorite onesy and giving her perfect puppy dog eyes. "You just have to love me and only me Jaune." The shape shatters and her icey voice whispers in his ear once more. "Forever and ever..."

The tears flow even harder down his cheeks as his back slides down the painted wall, leaving him curled on the floor, sobbing.

When her tiny hands once again come to rest on his shoulders and he looks up to meet her hetero chromatic eyes, a chuckle starts to bubble forth from his throat, a deep, dark sound befitting a man who's very world crumbled before him until it breaks, crawling forth louder, more manic even as the tears continue to stream **.**

"Neo?"

"Yes my love." She leans in close to his face.

"I do love you."

Her face brightens up with a deep gasp, hands covering her mouth.

"Yes. I love you...to death..." On the 'th, Jaune bites down hard on his tongue, severing it fully and letting the blood spill forth from his mouth. "Thil deathhh do uth parth." Spitting the severed chunk of tongue onto her nightgown, tarnishing it with a splatter of her lover's life essence.

His vision darkens quickly as the blood flows freely, his laughter sputtering and choking as his mouth fills with more and more blood, staring directly into Neo's widened, horrified eyes. Aura can stop damage, but not that which is self inflicted. He closes his eyes, feeling the strength quickly leaving his body from both the blood loss and the pain, knowing that any ambulance or emergency care would still come too late.

Though he can't bring anyone back, he can't fix what was done to Ren or to Nora, what he can do is this , this final act of spite. Let there deaths be in vain...but in a good way right?

His body slumps more before he feels the jostling of being picked up, still keeping his eyes closed as he's carried bridal style somewhere. Sleep sounds so good right now, his body leaden. Go to sleep, maybe, just maybe, he'll wake up and everyone will be there. Always the hope right?

The sound of a hinge creaking...

A chill through his body...

The cold, hard feel of steel...

His last vestiges of consciousness slip away as his heart began to run low on blood to pump through his body, drifting off into that comforting black void.

* * *

The world returned to Jaune in the form of the steady beeping of a nearby machine and the creeping light of sunrise. With a deep, clearing breath, he jerks, eyes widening in realization. "I'm ayive? I...I shoun't be ayive." His throat raspy and dry, his words slurred from the still missing chunk of tongue. His eyes dart around the room, searching for something to give him an idea.

Its the same room, but the posters and pictures are gone. He tries to move, only to find his limbs bound up, immovable. His eyes continue their sweep until they rest upon the sleeping form of his tormenter, of Neo, lying next to him, curled against his side like a cat.

Her eyes flutter open, taking a wide stretch and a yawn, before locking with his. "Darling, you're awake!" Her smile widens and she leans in to kiss him on the mouth, a brief, chaste affair but enough to force a blush across her face. "Good morning kiss...the first of many, many more."

"H-how?"

"Shhh," A single finger touches his lips. "Don't you worry. You'll be fine, despite how silly that was. Honestly Jaune, you could've ended up very hurt." She pats his bound limbs. "For now though, you'll just have to be kept secure and safe, don't you worry though. I'll be here beside you until you get better. I'll be right here the whole time. Forever...and ever...til death do us part right?"

Tears once more flow from Jaune's eyes, his screams mixing with the icey giggles of a triumphant Neo…

 **A/N: And done...you guys have no idea how many different forms that ending alone took, how many times it was something different until someone gave me a waaay better idea. I hope that this was worth the wait and while relatively short, I hope that it was enough to make you all see the scene that has been in my head for months. I don't have much else that I can say with this, so: may the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


End file.
